Chris: So, Candace and I are broke. Correction, we are living a nearly broke lifestyle so we can save as much of our resources as possible for the monumental costs of adoption. Valentine’s Day, as all of my fellow Y-chromosome owners out there can attest to, is an exceptionally convenient occasion to part with lots of money unknowingly. After realizing a few years ago, Candace and I made a pact. We would alternate every year with one person being in charge of the dinner and the other person purchasing a gift for the dinner organizer. This worked out really nicely … one year I got a reciprocating saw! Awesome right? Well, last year, we decided to do things a little differently. We had a ‘Chopped’ competition. For those not familiar with the show, up and coming chefs are given baskets of random, nearly inedible, ingredients that they have to turn into something amazing to survive the judges critique. In the end, one valiant chef, that likely almost cut off a finger in the frenzy, is aproned the Chopped Champion.
Candace and I used this theme for our Valentine’s Day last year. We each picked out 4 ingredients for the other person to use. Those of you that follow us regularly know that I am an absolute saint so there should be no surprises when I tell you that Candace was downright evil last year with her ingredient selection. By no small miracle (as I get jabbed in the ribs typing this) Candace won! We had a blast doing this last year and decided to do it again. And this time … scene fades to black with a deep voiced person saying, “He’s out for revenge.” Check out the photos below to get the rest of the story.
Could the contents of these bags send us to the ER tonight?
Candace’s 4 mystery ingredients were: lamb shoulder, Cuban sweet potato, green lentils, and grapes.
Chris had: sea scallops, parsnips, light rye crisp breads, and Easy Cheese.
Candace, using her ninja-like reflexes quickly dispatches with all of the unwanted parts of the lamb shoulder.
Chris, the awesome environmentalist, reintroduces the sea scallops to a watery environment. Egg wash, tapioca flour, egg wash, and ground rye crisp breads. Is drool bad for a computer keyboard?
Candace’s dish (using a food critic voice over): herbed chimichurri lamb tips coated with a grape red wine reduction served along with curried lentils and a Cuban sweet potato puree
Chris’s viddles: Rye crispbread crusted sea scallops served on a bed of creamed spinach and a crispbread ‘French toast’ with a parsnip and carrot cheese soup.
And the results, aside from a monstrous pile of dirty dishes … TIED. 101 points each. Dangit! I can’t claim victory!
Candace: Since we tied this year, and I won last year, I am keeping my title as the C&C Chopped Champion. In your face Chris! How does it feel to know that you will have to taste the bitter tears of defeat for an entire SECOND year?! (Insert evil laugh) Muah Ha Ha …
